Coaches

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Athletics Nunawading is fortunate to have the expertise of very experienced, accredited coaches. We coach athletes who are at least 13 years of age.

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Feel free to contact any of the coaches listed below or email the club for more information on coaching. 

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Adam McCann

With nearly 30 years of continuous involvement in athletics—exclusively with Nunawading clubs—Adam brings a wealth of experience and dedication to the sport. He holds a Level 2 coaching qualification in Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays, and is equipped to coach all running events across all distances.

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Summer season training typically begins in late June and continues through to the end of championship events. Sessions are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30pm, with a full weekly training program provided.

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Adam’s coaching is ideal for athletes new to the sport or those looking to take their performance to the next level.

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For more information, please email Adam. 

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Robert Falkenberg

Robert began his athletics journey in 1977 under the guidance of the legendary Allan Barlow OAM, coach of the Australian team at the Montreal Olympics. He spent 14 years competing at one of Australia’s premier athletics clubs, with 8 of those years at A-Grade level.

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In 1992, Robert commenced a two-year coaching apprenticeship under Allan Barlow before taking over the squad upon Allan’s retirement.

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His coaching philosophy centres on developing efficient running technique with a strong emphasis on speed, regardless of distance — believing that speed is just as crucial for distance runners as it is for sprinters.

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He welcomes athletes of all ages and experience levels, and currently offers coaching in the following events:

Sprints: 100m, 200m, 400m

Middle Distance: 800m, 1500m
Distance: 5,000m, 10,000m, Steeplechase, Marathon

 

For more information, please email Rob or phone him on 0414 233 230.

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Dave Sommers

Dave’s athletic journey started with the Sunshine Little Athletics Centre at age eleven. Over fifty years later he maintains his love for the sport and continues to run, albeit he has slowed down quite a bit. 

Dave formally commenced coaching in the early 1990s with Knox Little Aths. As his squad moved into senior athletics, he worked hard to ensure his coaching advanced at the same level. As well as attending many courses, he observed and took note on how other athletes train, and listened to many other coaches, all of which gave him a platform to develop his own coaching programs.

Dave coaches athletes of all ages and abilities, covering all track distances, as well as cross country and trail events. He works with the individual athlete on their technique, speed and aspects such as injury prevention/health, recovery, mental preparedness, etc to progress toward both current season and longer-term goals. Many of his athletes have been successful at state and national level, a few even representing the green and gold. 

Success comes from hard work but the training workload is balanced with the athlete’s other commitments (family, work, study, rest); and importantly a social and enjoyable training environment is maintained.

While the focus is on improving the athlete’s individual performance, Dave encourages his squad to participate in team events such as state/weekly relays. A highlight as a coach was when his squad won the prestigious Zatopek 4 x 400m open relays (both men’s and women’s) in the same year. If you are interested in joining Dave’s squad, please contact him by email at davidjsommers@outlook.com

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David Thomson

David’s athletics journey started at Little Athletics at the age of ten. From there, he progressed through junior and senior athletics, competing at multiple State and National Championships. As an athlete, David represented Australia at the 2014 World Junior Championships after achieving qualifying standards in both the Decathlon and Pole Vault, competing internationally in the Decathlon. He has also won Open National medals in both Pole Vault and Decathlon.

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David began coaching in 2013 with a small group of athletes. In 2014, he established the Fundamental Athletic Development squad, which has since grown into a year-round training group that has produced multiple Australian representatives, national champions, and state and national-level medallists.

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David is a Level 3 Performance Coach and holds a Bachelor of Health Science, majoring in Exercise Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion, as well as a Certificate IV in Sport and Recreation. As a professional coach, David is committed to ongoing development and regularly attends coaching courses, workshops and professional development opportunities to continue improving his knowledge and coaching practice.

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David coaches athletes from beginner through to elite level, offering a flexible but structured training environment. The squad focuses on long-term athlete development, with coaching available in Pole Vault, Combined Events, Sprints, Hurdles, Jumps and Throws. His coaching approach is built around helping each athlete improve technically, physically and mentally, while balancing training with school, work, family and other commitments. The aim is to create a positive, professional and supportive squad environment where athletes can enjoy the sport, train consistently and progress toward both short-term and long-term goals.

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Whether an athlete is just starting out or aiming to compete at State, National or International level, David’s squad provides a structured pathway to help them develop and achieve their best.

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If you are interested in joining David’s squad, please contact him by email at fundamental.athletic.development@gmail.com